Lately he's been working on the familiar riff from "Sweet Home Alabama," but he's been known to duplicate harder melodies like those from AC/DC's Angus Young, blues from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons or punk from Johnny Rotten.
For Brack, the 1999 Indy 500 winner and one of Honda's top drivers in the IRL IndyCar Series, music is an escape, a passion and a gift. And completely different from racing.
"I think music is different," Brack said.
"When we're out there driving, you have to be very precise with everything. There's no room for improvising. You do your stuff, basically. You have to be right with your setup and the way you drive it.
"Music is more of an improvisation thing. Both are an adrenaline rush, but in different ways. I can see how a lot of musicians are into car racing." But car racers who are into music? Now that's uncommon. Brack and his band, Kenny Brack & the Subwoofers, have played several events in conjunction with IRL races this season, including opening for Cracker on Carb Day before the Indianapolis 500.
Their latest CD, "Live from Nashville," is a compilation of live recordings from a concert before the IRL race in July at Nashville Superspeedway. It is available for $10 on www.caraaux.org or www.kennybrack.com. All proceeds go to CARA Charities, an open-wheel racing charity.
The experiences of playing a guitar and driving a race car have their similarities, Brack says, but he sees the differences more profoundly.
"You're much more exposed as a musician than you are as a car racer," he said. "You're doing a performance, but it's still different in those areas. You get into your playing or singing, and when you're in your car, you get into your driving. You want to do it as good as you can."
